Slitter and pin-wheel feed for stationery strips



SLITTER AND PIN-WHEEL FEED FOR STATIONERY STRIPS Filed Oct. 13. 1958 J. E. EUTH June 19, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 w I 7 d h June 19, 1962 J EUTH 3,039,345

SLITTER AND PIN-WHEEL FEED FOR STATIONERY STRIPS Filed Oct. 13, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. E. EUTH TQM 7 SLITTER AND PIN-WHEEL. FEED FOR STATIONERY STRIPS June 19, 1962 FilQd Oct. 15, 1958 J. E. EUTH June 19, 1962 SLITTER AND PIN-WHEEL FEED FOR STATIONERY STRIPS Filed 001;. 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 0 3,039,345 SLITTER AND PIN-WHEEL FEED FOR STATIONERY STRIPS John E. Euth, Chicago, lllh, assignor to Uarco, Incorporated, a corporation of iliinois Filed Oct. 13, 1953, Ser. No. 766,901 14 Claims. (Cl. S3423) This invention relates to a slitter for sheet material and more particularly to a slitter for removing marginal feed bands from a plurality of superposed stationery strips.

The severing or cutting of continuous stationery strips has generally been accomplished by relatively high speed cutting wheels. Ordinarily, the cutting wheels would have a peripheral velocity from eight to twenty times the surface speed of the paper being cut. Difliculties in obtaining a straight, as contrasted to a wavily cut edge, have been generally accepted. Also, there has been difficulty in cutting accurately through many moving webs, for example, eight to twelve webs with interleaved carbon strips. The slitter of the present invention solves both these problems and shows a mechanism for accomplishing a straight out in one or a plurality of superposed strips.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved slitter of the character described.

Another obiect is to provide a slitter mechanism in which the cutting blades move at the same speed as the stationery being out Another object is to provide such a mechanism in which the stationery is maintained under positive control to an instant just prior to the slitting of the stationery.

Another object is to provide such a mechanism in which the slitting blades are so mounted as to maintain a proper cutting relation even though the supporting mechanism for the cutting blades may not be in true alignment.

A further object is to provide a slitter mechanism capable of maintaining a straight line out in a moving web of stationery whether a single strip or a plurality of superposed strips are cut at one time.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism wherein an adjustment in the Width of the strip or the placement of cut may be made readily and easily.

A still further object is to provide a compact slitter unit readily serviceable and adaptable to various installations.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of slitter mechanisms embodying the invention and mounted upon a bursting machine frame;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1, viewing the same from the bottom of FIGURE 1 and taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view looking toward one of the slitter units shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view through the slitter unit taken substantially along line 44 in FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view through the slitter unit taken substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally in a horizontal plane and along line 6-6 in FIG- URE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view of superposed strips 3,639,345 Patented June 1 9, 1962 of stationery showing the feed band partially removed therefrom.

The slitter of the present invention may be used for various slitting operations on continuous form stationery and interleaved carbon strips and may be used in connection with various types of machines found in business offices using continuous form stationery. The principles of operation of the slitting blades may be utilized in other processes and with other equipment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the slitting devices of the present invention are shown as mounted on parts 8 and 9 of the frame of a bursting machine. Continuous form stationery S is shown in dotted outline traveling in the direction of the arrow 10 and having its marginal perforated feed bands 11 and 12 removed by the slitting mechanisms 13 on the left hand and 14 on the right hand side. These slitting mechanisms are mounted upon a mounting rod 15 and a drive shaft 16, the latter having a keyway 17 for driving connection with gearing within the slitting units. A drive chain 13, receiving motive force from the motor driving the burster machine, transmits force through gears 19 and 20 (FIG. 2) to the drive shaft 16. The shaft is equipped with appropriate bearings 21 and 22 in the frame parts 8 and 9 of the bursting machine. The frame parts may be supported upon a base shown fragmentarily at 23 and being in the nature of a table.

' Each of the slitting units 13 and 14 is shown herein as a self-contained device movable along the rod and drive shaft supporting the same. A thumb nut 24 at the front of each unit may be utilized for the purpose of locking the unit in a selected position. The units are similar, being positioned to trim the left hand margin of the stationery and the unit 14 positioned to trim the right hand margin. The structural form of the units is similar except for the differences necessitated by the left versus right hand positioning.

Each of the slitting units has a base frame 30 supporting a rearward cover 31 and a forward cover 32 hinged on a pin 29, the covers enclosing these sharp slitting blades from view. The forward cover 32 is equipped with a finger detent 27 adapted to engage openings in the base frame to hold the cover in closed or open position, An opening 28 is shown for receiving the detent to hold the front cover open in cooperation with the detent. Between the lateral extension 33 of the base frame and the covers, there is formed a guide for the stationery.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the extension 33 of the base frame for supporting the stationery is, in effect, a ledge formed on a part of the base. This ledge in connection with the rearward cover 31 forms an upwardly extending guideway 35 leading the stationery upwardly to the slitting position and then horizontally beyond that point in connection with the forward cover 32.

The construction of the base frame includes a number of castings held together in a relatively unitary structure. An upstanding part 36 is connected to an intermediate section 37 and the innermost section 38 forming a part of the guide ledge. These frame sections mount a lower stub shaft 25 and an upper stub shaft 39 in as close to parallel relation as possible. Each of the shafts is provided with bearings such as the bearings 40 and 41 for the lower shaft and the bearings 42 and 43 for the upper shaft. Between the bearings and secured to the shaft are gears 44 and 45 of the same size and in mesh so that the two shafts are turned in opposite directions at the same rate of speed. The drive to these shafts is accomplished from the drive shaft 16 to a gear 46 within the frame part 36 having a direct mesh connection with the gear 44 on the lower stub shaft 25. Gear 46 is equipped to slide along the drive shaft 16 maintaining its connection with the keyway 17 therein.

One of the features of the present invention has to do with the control of the stationery at the moment slitting occurs. Herein, this control is accomplished by an engagement of the slitting mechanism with the perforate feed band on the stationery. Specifically, this control is accomplished by the provision of pin wheel 47 secured to the shaft by set screw 48 and having a plurality of pins 49 extending outwardly from an outer circular peripheral surface 50 on the wheel. The .cover members have a groove 51 in their lower part to fit over the pins as the wheel revolves so that the stationery is confined between the periphery of the wheel and the covers when the slitter is in operative condition. The perforate feed b ands engaged by the pin wheel are intended to be severed from the stationery and deflected to waste. Referring to FIG- URE 7, the feed band F is shown deflected from the stationery S and in FIGURE 5, as passing downwardly in the direction of the arrow 51.

To provide the slitting, a pair of cooperating sharpened slitting blades are mounted upon the stub shafts. The lower blade 55 is an annular sharpened blade secured to a sleeve 56 by a plurality of screws 57. The sleeve is movable on the stub shaft and connected thereto by the key 58 and secured in position by a set screw 59. The blade is preferably a heat-treated steel having Rockwell C scale hardness of around 62 or 63. Also, preferably the blade is given a slight undercut on the sharpened side which faces the free end of the stub shaft 25.

The cooperating upper slitter blade 60 is also a circular blade annular in form with its sharpened edge 61 facing the supported end of the stub shaft 39. The blade is similar to the blade 55 so that the hollow-ground edges of the blades face each other in cutting relation. The upper blade 60 is supported on a sleeve 62 by a plurality of screws 63 and the sleeve is slidably connected to the shaft 39 by the key 64. A collar 65 with a knurled outer surface is secured to the shaft by a set screw 66 for receiving and retaining one end of a compression coil spring 67 urging the upper blade against the lower. The collar is appropriately recessed and the sleeve 62 has an extension 68 to keep the spring in proper alignment.

The overlap of the cutting blades is positioned as best seen in FIGURE to be exactly opposite the point of deepest penetration by the pins 49 of the pin wheel into the stationery. The guide path for the stationery allows the pins to enter the perforations and control the stationery in its passage through the device. The slitting occurs where the blades overlap exactly opposite the point of deepest penetration of the pins into the stationery and while there is thus the greatest control of the stationery. As a result of this construction, it has been found that an extremely straight line of cut is obtained in either a single stationery strip or a plurality of superposed strips. The drive to the slitting blades is such that their peripheral speed is the same as that of the pin wheel, and thus the same as the advancing speed of the stationery.

Following the slitting operation, the severed margins may be deflected by a spring finger 70 held on a detent 71 in the forward cover 32. The finger is retractible when not desired or needed for use.

Adjustments in the position of the slitting blades may easily be accomplished by swinging the covers 31 and 32 upwardly to expose the blades. The lower collar or sleeve 56 is adjusted in position relative to the pin wheel, and a similar adjustment is made in the position of the upper collar 65 so that a proper spring compression is maintained on the upper blade. Should the upper and lower shafts be slightly out of alignment, the urging of the upper blade against the lower will maintain a proper cutting relation. The cutting blades always move at the same speed as the paper and thus do not tend to drive or pull the paper off line. In the pas-t, cutting blades have generally been driven much faster so that such pulling occurs when the blades become dull.

It will be noted in the drawings that the lower slitting blade has its cutting edge just slightly above the pitch diameter of the pin wheel surface. It is desirable that the stationery secured to the pin wheels by the pins impaling the perforations, should remain tightly under the control of the pins. This is accomplished in part by causing the slitting blades to overlap entirely Within the projection of the pin wheel itself. That is to say, the lower blade does not project above the pin wheel and the upper blade overlaps the lower below the surface of the wheel. In addition to the slitting blade location, the cover members are recessed immediately over the path of the pins, thus, in effect, aiding to maintain the stationery on the pins. These structures cooperate to maintain the stationery under positive control just prior to the slitting operation. It has been found that an absolutely straight edge is obtained and the usual wave cut is avoided.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A slitter for slitting stationery adjacent a row of perforations in the stationery comprising: a pair of spaced driven shafts; a pin wheel having outwardly extending pins thereon mounted on one shaft to engage the perforations in said stationery to positively advance the same between said shafts; a first disc type cutting blade mounted adjacent the pin wheel on said one shaft and having a cutting edge at the periphery of the wheel; a second disc type cutting blade mounted on the other shaft and having a cutting edge overlapping the edge of the first blade in cutting contact therewith, said shafts turning the cutting blades and pin wheel at substantially the same peripheral speed to positively slit the stationery adjacent the pin wheel engagement with the stationery.

2. A slitter for removing a perforate feed band from strips of stationery and thelike, comprising: a pair of driven shafts spaced apart for passage of a strip there between; a pin wheel including a plurality of outwardly extending pins secured to one of the shafts to engage the perforate feed band and positively feed the strip between the shafts; a first disc type slitting blade mounted on said one shaft beside the pin wheel and having a cutting edge generally aligned with the periphery of the wheel; and a second disc type slitting blade on the other shaft in cutting contact with the first blade at a position beside the engagement of the pin wheel with the feed band whereby the strip is slit while held on said pin wheel.

3. A slitter unit for use in slitting stationery and the like, comprising: a frame having openings therein for mounting the frame upon supporting rods; a pair of generally parallel stub shafts in said frame with gears drivingly connecting the shafts; a pin wheel including a plurality of outwardly extending pins secured to one of the shafts to engage feed perforations in the stationery to positively advance the same; a first disc type slitting blade mounted on said one shaft to one side of the pin wheel and having a cutting edge at the periphery of the wheel; a second disc type slitting blade mounted on the other shaft in overlapping cutting contact with the first blade; means for driving said shafts and said gearing turning said cutting blades and pin wheel at generally the same peripheral speed.

4. A slitter as specified in claim 2 wherein the second slitting blade is yieldingly urged against the first slitting blade so as to maintain said contact between the blades.

5. A slitteras specified in claim 2 wherein. the first slitting blade is supported on a sleeve in turn secured to the one shaft, said sleeve being movable along the one shaft to vary the distance between said pin wheel and slitting blade, said second blade being movable along the other shaft to maintain cutting contact with said first blade.

6. A slitter for removing a perforate feed band from strips of stationery and the like, comprising: a pair of driven shafts spaced apart for passage of a strip therebetween; a pin wheel mounted on one shaft and having generally radially extending pins adapted to engage the perforations in the feed band to positively advance the strips; a first disc type slitting blade having a sharpened cutting edge substantially positioned at the pitch diameter of the pin wheel and spaced laterally of the wheel to engage the strips at a desired line of slitting; means for rotating the first slitting blade with the pin wheel and at the same speed; a second slitting blade mounted on the other shaft and having a sharpened cutting edge engaging and slightly overlapping the cutting edge of the first blade; and means for driving the second slitting blade at substantially the same peripheral speed as the I first cutting blade.

7. A slitter for removing perforate feed bands from superposed strips of stationery and the like, comprising: a pair of driven shafts spaced apart for passage of the superposed strips therebetween; a pin wheel including a plurality of pins mounted on one shaft said pins being outwardly extending to enter perforations in said feed bands to positively advance the stationery between said shafts; a circular slitting blade having a supporting sleeve mounted upon said one shaft and positioning the blade generally concentrically with and to one side of said pin wheel, said slitting blade having a cutting edge generally aligned with the periphery of said pin wheel; a cooperating circular slitting blade mounted upon the other shaft; means yieldingly urging the cooperating blade into and maintaining cutting contact with said first circular slitting blade with a cutting edge of cooperating blade over lapping the cutting edge of said first circular blade so as to sever the feed band from the stationery strips immediately beside the pin wheel.

8. A slitter as specified in claim 7 wherein the cooperating blade is secured to a sleeve slidingly mounted upon said other shaft, drive means connect said sleeve and shaft and the slitting blades and pin wheel are driven at substantially the same peripheral speed.

9. A slitter as specified in claim 3 in which the second slitting blade is slidingly mounted on said other shaft, a collar is attached to said other shaft in spaced relation to the blade and a spring urges the blade away from the collar and into contact with the first slitting blade.

10. A slitter unit for use in slitting stationery strips and the like, comprising: a frame having a pair of openings therein to receive a supporting rod and drive shaft respectively therein; a pair of stub shafts journalled in the frame and connected for rotation in unison; a pin wheel secured to one shaft, said wheel having a peripheral surface with pins extending outwardly therefrom for engaging perforations in the stationery to be slit to positively advance the same; a first disc type slitter blade mounted on said one shaft and having a cutting edge extending generally in alignment with the peripheral surface of the pin wheel so as to avoid lifting the strips oif the pin; a second disc type slitter blade mounted on the other shaft and having a cutting edge contacting the first blade and overlapping a portion thereof; guide means for directing strips to the pin wheel for engagement of the pins with said perforations, said overlapping cutting edges being positioned beside the area of pin wheel engagement in said perforations whereby the strips are slit while held on said pin wheel; and means for driving said stub shafts, pin wheel and slitter blades.

11. A slitter unit as specified in claim 10 wherein the frame has a base section and a pair of cover sections, the upper surface of the base section and the lower surface of the cover sections being spaced to form said guide means directing the strips to the pin wheel, said cover sections when closed enclosing said slitter blades.

12. A slitter unit as specified in claim 10 wherein the frame has a plurality of gears therein joining said stub shaft and drive shaft with a keyed connection between the drive shaft and one of said gears to permit movement of the slitter unit longitudinally of the drive shaft and support rod and means for locking the unit in selected position therealong.

13. A slitter unit as specified in claim 10 wherein each slitter blade is annular and secured to a sleeve member slidingly mounted upon its respective stub shaft for adjustment therealong, one of said blades being secured in position relative to its stub shaft when in use and the other blade being resiliently yieldingly urged toward said one blade to maintain said cutting relation.

14. A slitter unit for use in slitting stationery strips and the like, comprising: a base frame having a lower part with openings therein to slidingly receive a drive shaft and a supporting rod and an upstanding part thereabove; a pair of stub shafts journalled in said base frame, one in the lower part and one in the upper part, said shafts being spaced and substantially parallel with gears connecting the shafts for rotation at the same rate; gear means connecting said drive shaft to said gears; a pin wheel secured on the lower stub shaft for rotation therewith, said wheel having a periphery with pins outstanding therefrom to engage perforations in the stationery strips to positively advance the same; a first circular slitting blade mounted on the lower stub shaft adjacent said pin wheel and having a cutting edge generally at the level of said pin wheel periphery and aligned therewith; a second circular slitting blade mounted on the upper stub shaft and having a cutting edge overlapping the lower blade opposite the upper part of the pin wheel, said upper blade being yieldingly urged into cutting contact in cooperation with the lower blade; guide means for directing the stationery to said upper part of the pin wheel so that the strips are slit by said blades closely adjacent the engagement of the pin wheel with the stationery, said gears and drive means providing said pin wheel and cutting blades with generally the same peripheral speed.

References (lited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,376,264 Fortner Apr. 26, 1921 1,663,788 Zinmiewicz Mar. 27, 1928 2,236,366 Chapman et a1. Mar. 25, 1941 2,241,395 Egling May 13, 1941 2,328,582 Ratchford et al. Sept. 7, 1943 2,329,469 Huck Sept. 14, 1943 2,390,907 Winter Dec. 11, 1945 2,399,154 Antrim Apr. 23, 1946 2,476,326 Sherman July 19, 1949 2,796,771 Brown June 25, 1957 

